Canterbury

Canterbury, in the South Island of New Zealand, consists of two major wine areas; the plains around the city of Christchurch where grapes were first planted in the late 1970s, and the more recently developed valley area of Waipara, an hour's drive north of Christchurch.

Long, dry summers, abundant sunshine and relatively cool growing conditions are a feature in both Canterbury and Waipara. Although, Waipara which is sheltered from the coast by a low range of hills can be significantly warmer. The “Terroir” combined with a long, hot autumn helps produce rich, aromatic white wines.

Kim Crawford wines have largely been in the Waipara area, where the chalky loams are often rich in limestone and impart wonderful characters in the Kim Crawford Riesling - the combination of soils and climate gives our wine a unique lime character that is very intense with a long finish.